


In which Arthur is too old for this, and bribery by toy ship is a thing

by sedna_mode



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr, just some light cute babysitter!Matthew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 07:17:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4555626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sedna_mode/pseuds/sedna_mode
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It starts with a phone call from a frantic Arthur. As soon as he picks up, Matthew knows he’s going to have to stage an intervention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In which Arthur is too old for this, and bribery by toy ship is a thing

It starts with a phone call from a frantic Arthur. As soon as he picks up, Matthew knows he’s going to have to stage an intervention. Arthur’s voice is flat, exhausted, with an edge of hysteria lacing his words. And Matthew can hear in the background the high-pitched yelling of a child, and he can tell by the way the boy’s voice gets louder and softer that he’s running all over the house on the other end of the line.

“I’m on my way” is all Matthew says, and he heads out the door, grabbing his coat, keys, and the little backpack he keeps by the door specifically for occasions such as these.

 

He’s greeted ten minutes later by a disheveled Englishman, and Mathew thinks he looks even worse than he sounded over the phone, with his slightly deranged eyes and hunched shoulders. “Bloody child doesn’t have an off-switch!”

Right on cue, Peter runs up to the door, pink-cheeked and sporting the widest grin Matthew has ever seen. He’s shirtless, with a red towel knotted at his neck and an enormous feathered hat perched on his head, waving a little wooden sword in greeting. “Arr, a strange ship has appeared in my waters. State your name and intention, scoundrel.”

Matthew steps into the house with a spreading grin, discarding his pack and coat as Arthur closes the door and leans on it, dragging his hands down his face with an exasperated groan. “Peter…”

The Canadian quickly glances back over his shoulder, giving his former guardian a  _don’t worry I’ve got this_  look, before turning back to the ball of energy in front of him. Peter has crossed his arms and started tapping his foot, impatiently awaiting a response. “So? Who be you, I am not a patient man.”

“I am Captain Matthew of the ship Canadia. I come bearing treasure.”

“You can’t be a Captain, I’m the Captain.” Peter slips out of character slightly to pout at Matthew, before latching on to the second half of his statement, eyes lighting up with excitement. “You brought treasure? What kind?”

“Books! Stories! The kind that will make young pirates go to sleep, and make old pirates very happy about it.” Matthew winks at Arthur as he says it, and he simply rolls his eyes before shoving off from the door he was still leaning on and heading over to fall into his favourite armchair with a grunt.

Peter is none too enthusiastic about the prospect of bed, and he loudly voices his displeasure when Matthew turns back to him. “That’s not fair books are boring I don’t want to go to bed I thought you were going to play with me I hate you!”

“Peter, it’s already eight thirty, way past a Captain’s bedtime. How about this? I’ll play with you while you have your bath, and then I’ll read you the stories I brought.”

“No! I’m not tired! And a pirate never washes!”

“Weeeelll if that’s the case, I guess you won’t be needing this!” Matthew kneels down next to his backpack, reaching into it while holding Peter’s eyes with his own. His fingers close around something that isn’t a book, and he smirks slightly when the young boy tries to catch a glimpse of what it might be.  _Gotcha._  He pulls out a scale model plastic battleship, and Peter’s face lights up. When he tries to grab the boat, Matthew hefts it out of reach and tuts, cutting off the boy’s whine of protest. “This beauty is a maiden of the sea, she only goes on water. You can’t have her here.”

Peter stares at the boat a moment longer, debate flashing across his features, then turns on his heel to run upstairs, shouting as he goes “I’m gonna have a bath, so you better bring that boat for me to play with!”

Matthew stands back up, shooting a grin at Arthur who has sunk into his armchair like he never intends to leave it again. “Worked like a charm.”

“You can’t bring him boats to get him to take a bath every time you know.”

“Well I don’t see why you’re complaining, since it gets him to do it.”

“As long as you can find somewhere to put them away when you’re done.”

“Yeah yeah.” The sound of running water reaches their ears, and Matthew heads upstairs before Peter starts yelling that he’s taking too long, bringing the boat with him and grabbing a couple books from his pack too.

The bath seems to work for calming the boy down (though you wouldn’t know it from Matthew’s soaked sweater and the puddles on the bathroom floor), and Peter is much more docile afterward, standing still and clutching his new tow as a yawn splits his face, letting Matthew dry off his hair and wrap him in a towel.

They brush teeth, and once back in Peter’s room Matthew helps him pick out a pair of pyjamas (sky blue ones with little white seagulls on them). He takes the towel back to the bathroom while Peter changes, and when he comes back, the boy is sitting up in bed, pushing the plastic battleship around on top of his comforter and making little  _whoosh_ ing noises with his mouth like he’s imitating the ocean. Matthew chuckles and heads over to the bed, pausing by the dresser to pick up the books he brought from downstairs earlier.

“Alright Captain, time to bring her in to port for the night, you can’t sleep with a hard toy like that in your bed.”

Reluctantly, Peter allows Matthew to take the boat away, but insists that he leave it on the dresser where he can see it. Peter snuggles down under the covers, staring at Matthew intently as he holds up the selection of books for him to choose from. “I want that one, it has my name on it.”

Matthew takes a look at the book Peter has pointed out, discarding the others and coming over to sit on top of the covers next to the boy, setting himself up comfortably against the headboard while Peter makes room for him. “The Tale of Peter Rabbit huh? Good choice.”

Matthew flips the book open, making sure to hold it so Peter can see the pictures, and clears his throat once before beginning. “The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter.  Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter. They li- what?”

Matthew looks down at Peter, who is tugging gently on his sleeve to get his attention. “Why do they all have cool names except Peter?”

“Peter Rabbit is a very cool name, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Not as cool as Cotton-tail.”

“Don’t worry, by the end of the story I’m sure you’ll find Peter really cool. He’s just like you after all! Now, may I continue?” Peter nods and curls in against Matthew’s side, head resting against the Canadian’s chest so he can stare at the book.

“Alright, so. They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree…”

Five minutes later and Peter is snoring softly against Matthew’s chest, fast asleep. Matthew smiles gently and puts the book away (they didn’t even manage to finish it, Peter Rabbit is still trying to get out of Mr. McGregor’s garden), then shifts around carefully until he’s laying down next to the boy, dropping a kiss onto the top of his head as he does so. Peter stirs but does not wake up, instead unconsciously bringing a small hand up to fist in the fabric of Matthew’s shirt.

 

Arthur finds them several hours later when he heads up to bed (he dozed off in his armchair). They’re both sleeping peacefully, Peter with his cheek on Matthew’s chest and Matthew with an arm thrown around Peter’s shoulders. “Bloody idiots,” Arthur grumbles fondly, as he steps into the room to throw a blanket over Matthew and turn off the light.

**Author's Note:**

> Reposted from my Tumblr @sednamode
> 
> The Beatrix Potter stories are ones I remember fondly from my own childhood, and we still have a whole collection of them at home. I chose the story of Peter Rabbit here partly for the nostalgia factor and partly because Sealand would totally pick something with his own name on the cover!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed ~


End file.
